Currently, interest in sonic branding, a branding method that utilizes sound and music, is increasing, especially overseas. Traditional branding is a way for companies to establish their identity by using an original logo or specific colors to make the company’s brand visually memorable.
Branding using sound applies not only to songs used in advertisements, but also to sounds that blend into daily life, such as the startup sound of electronic devices, BGM in hotels and restaurants, and electronic money.
So this time, we will introduce what sonic branding is, and the future prospects and benefits of branding methods that use sound.
What is Sonic Branding?
Sonic branding is a branding method that uses sound to evoke the image of a brand or its products. Also known as “sound branding” or “audio branding.”
Traditional corporate branding has focused on visually memorable methods such as logos and specific colors and shapes. However, currently, markets related to “sound” such as audio and music are gaining momentum, such as the expansion of the podcast market and audiobook market. Against this backdrop, there is an increasing number of efforts overseas to use sound for branding that establishes a company’s image.
Sonic branding range
Sound branding is not limited to advertising, but covers all areas where consumers and brands intersect.
Typical examples include a company’s “sound logo” and “jingle.”
Other examples
smart speaker
smart home appliances
microwave or refrigerator
ATM operation sound
Electronic money payment sound
Electric car
Ticketing machines etc.
There are opportunities to express your brand through sound in a variety of places and scenes, whether at home or on the street.
“Sound” branding that increases corporate value
Expansion of the voice market
As the place to listen to music has moved online, revenues from digital audio ads (audio ads) distributed through music distribution services are also increasing. Streaming has come to dominate, and radio content that was previously only available under limited circumstances can now be viewed on cloud services, which may also have had an impact.
Digital audio advertising in particular has high appeal as it allows for detailed advertising targeting based on gender, age, viewing content, etc.
The future of Sonic branding
Impacted by the growth of TikTok
TikTok is a social app that puts voice and music at the core of its marketing strategy. TikTok has been recognized as the fastest growing social app, with the number of app downloads ranking first in the world as of 2020.
Additionally, TikTok has a high usage rate among young people, making it a platform that is strong among young people. Users tend to use TikTok mainly to watch trending music and interesting videos. Therefore, for companies with services targeted at young people in their teens and 20s, using a platform that uses sound can be a business opportunity to acquire new fans.
Popularization of voice recognition interfaces
With the spread of voice assistants and smart speakers, not only visual media that can be viewed on TVs, computers, and smartphone screens, but also audio media that can be listened to, such as podcasts and audiobooks, are expanding.
Benefits for companies to utilize Sonic Branding
The scope of Sonic Branding is all areas where consumers interact with services and brands. From here, we will introduce the benefits of using Sonic Branding.
You can also listen to it while listening to it.
Because you listen to it with your ears, you can listen while you are doing something, such as doing housework, reading, or working.
Easy to cultivate good feelings and empathy
It is easy to convey a specific message to the user and has the effect of evoking a specific feeling, making it easy to foster good feelings and empathy. It is also possible to use sound to influence a user’s subconscious mind and lead to the purchase of a product or service.
Sound becomes an asset
Since 2015, the Japan Patent Office has allowed the registration of “sound trademarks consisting only of musical elements.” In fact, FamilyMart has registered its corporate message, “FamilyMart for you and me” as a trademark.
In this way, sound can also be used as a brand asset.
Source: “FamilyMart for you and your family” is registered as a “sound trademark” with the Japan Patent Office
Information is conveyed quickly and accurately
Compared to the eyes, information received through the ears is said to have faster information transmission speed, faster information processing ability, and is easier to convey accurately. Therefore, branding methods that use sound can convey a company’s message more quickly and accurately than through visual media.
easy to remember
Music and sounds that have an impact are easy to remember, and remembering the sounds can lead to brand recognition.
Sound branding makes good use of the connections between casual everyday life and brands. We can expect sound branding to continue to be used in various places in the future.
Points to note when using Sonic branding
When performing sonic branding, it is first necessary to create sounds to convey corporate and product messages.
When producing sound, it is necessary to design every detail, such as what the purpose is, who is the user who will listen to the sound, and what environment the user will listen to the sound .
Because sound is closely connected to daily life, if the sound itself is perceived as annoying, it may not work as a marketing strategy, so care must be taken.
Sonic branding must not only embody the brand’s identity, but also be something that users who listen to the sound feel comfortable with.
The carefully selected sound that is tailored to the user’s lifestyle will be loved for a long time as a brand asset.
Examples of corporate sonic branding usage
Many memorable commercials and advertisements often use sound.
Here we will introduce examples of sonic branding that successfully incorporate product messages.
Deodorizing power
The song is used to promote the product “Deodorizing Power” by S.T. Co., Ltd. Songs that combine a unique melody with a product name are easy to remember, and people can imagine what the product is and what it smells like just by listening to the song.
Leave it to G-ANGLE to create memorable sounds.
Sound is easily remembered by people and influences their purchasing intentions. Many companies are also using sonic branding using sound, and this is likely to expand further in the future.
Leave it to G-angle to create the “sound” that increases your corporate value. As a video production company, we have a track record of various audio productions.
With our strengths as a production company, we are also capable of producing high quality sound. We can also support you in applying for permission to use music, and we will create custom-made sounds tailored to your needs.
